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So Mindy dropped a bomb on us last week during The Mindy Project. Our favorite, fashionable OBGYN is preggers! With Danny’s baby! While we’re all for a baby Castellano (can you imagine the tiny red reading glasses?!), we couldn’t help but feel this “twist” was a little…too obvious? The surprise pregnancy plotline has been done in countless other TV shows – sometimes as a jump-the-shark moment (read: the writers have run out of ideas) and other times as a way to write an actress’ real-life pregnancy into the show. Either way, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And fans generally love it or hate it - no inbetween.
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Mindy’s situation is unique because, as Mindy Kaling told EW.com, the writers have been talking about this pregnancy storyline since season one. The unplanned pregnancy was indeed planned. And, Kaling said, it will only motivate Mindy more in her career. Smart, successful, ambitious Mindy isn’t going away, folks! We’re tentatively hopeful it’ll all work out – that is, as soon as she tells Danny.
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On the flip side, another Fox comedy, New Girl, has decided not to write Zooey Deschanel’s real-life pregnancy into the show. Thank God for small miracles. Can you imagine all of them in that loft with a BABY? Though we have to admit Schmidt would make an amazing godfather.
And now we present some shows that have handled the pregnancy twist with varying degrees of success.
Bones: Hate It
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After years of sexual tension buildup, we didn’t even get to see the Brennan/Booth hookup. We weren’t even sure they’d done it, until Brennan suddenly announced she was pregnant. HUHWUH?
Parks &amp; Recreation: Love It
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Here’s how to completely call out the ridiculousness of the pregnancy plot twist and play into it at the same time – at the end of last season, Leslie Knope revealed she was pregnant…with TRIPLETS.
Mad Men: Love It
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When January Jones became pregnant in real life Mad Men didn’t write it into the show, instead they made Betty get fat. It was hilarious – and also a really elaborate way to hide an on-screen pregnancy. We kinda miss Fat Betty.
Nashville: Love It
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Nashville wrote Hayden Panettiere's pregnancy into her character's storyline. It definitely made Juliette's life more complicated and more drama on Nashville can only be a good thing, we suppose.
King of Queens: Hate It
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Probably one of the worst instances of trying to hide a pregnancy on television. It was so obvious Leah Remini was preggers that they should have just written it into the show. It's almost like they didn't even try to conceal it!
The Office: Love It
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It took Jim and Pam forever to get together, but once they did, they sure didn't waste any time! It only made sense for these two to start a family.
Hart of Dixie: On the Fence
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The show turned Rachel Bilson's pregnancy into an unexpected life change for her character, Zoe. We're still waiting to see how this one plays out.
So what do you think? Pregnancy twist: love it or hate it? Which shows did it well and which shows didn't? Let us know!
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"It was something said that wasn't meant to be factual. It was said in context with the glutton side of myself. I'm constantly a flip-and-flop of extremes. I take care of it, to an extent - and then I kind of knock it all down and destroy the sand castle. All I meant was that I do things in extremes." Channing Tatum clarifies comments he made in a recent GQ interview, during which he called himself a "functioning alcoholic".

Outkast star Andre Benjamin had to perfect playing the guitar left-handed in just days after learning it would be too expensive to let camera trickery make him look like Jimi Hendrix on film. The singer, aka Andre 3000, felt sure he'd perfected Hendrix's nuances and language for new biopic All Is By My Side until producers told him he'd have to learn to play the guitar just like the late rock great.
He says, "It’s almost the same as walking backwards!"
Benjamin tells ShortList.com the filmmakers were convinced they could just film him playing right-handed and flip the image to match Hendrix’s actual playing style.
He adds, "That meant we were going to have to change everything in the scene, which was really expensive. We got this information just a couple of days before I was supposed to go and shoot it. I was kind of bummed about it.
"I didn’t know if I could pull it off. At one point during the meeting, I was not going to do it. I was going to say, 'The movie’s not gonna work, because I don’t want to f**k Hendrix up and make him look terrible'. I hadn’t practised the left-hand thing once."
But hard work and dedication paid off and Benjamin is now an ambidextrous musician: "I just had to dive in with the few days I had before shooting. I think we had a week or two. I had to just practice every day left handed, until I could get it to a place where I felt comfortable enough to do it."

Let’s not allow Jimmy Kimmel to soil the good name of Friends fan-fiction. Although the late night host’s heavily funded but halfhearted attempt at the time-honored art form warranted few laughs, it did remind us that there are plenty of worthwhile pieces of writing floating around the Internet devoted to the West Village sextet. Some are admirable in quality, others in sheer passion. And some deserve a hat tip simply because of how damn weird they are.
Following Kimmel’s reunion of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow, we hit the dark corners of the web to round up the strangest pieces of Friends fan-fiction we could find. Some rearrange the narrative of the beloved show in creative ways, some test the very fabrics of the laws of reality… and some simply vie to be as disturbing as conceivably possible. Take your pick.
"Mondler: The Story of a Survivor" by cvlax14Or: The one where Richard attacks Monica with a baseball bat and Chandler comes to her rescue.
"'Mon we really should not be doing this.''I know Chandler, it's fun sneaking around though.''That is a lot of fun, but what about you and Richard''Richard and I are having problems.''What do you mean Mon''I really shouldn't he will get mad.''Richard will get mad?''Yes Chandler I have to go I'm sorry.'Then Monica got up and walked out of my apartment. What is Richard doing to her, I thought. I wonder if Rach knows. So I got up and walked to Rachel's apartment. She was able to get an apartment two doors down from ours." [sic] Read the full story here!
"The One with Joey's Daughter" by friendslover99Self-explanatory.
"'You have a daughter?' asked Monica. 'Yeah' Joey replied. 'and she just moved to the apartment last week'. 'Wait, isn't Kate that actress you dated?' Chandler asked. 'Yeah. I can't believe she's dying' said Joey. 'Well, what's your daughter's name?' asked Phoebe." [sic] Read the full story here!
"Prom Makes a Difference" by KateToastOr: The one where a teenage Rachel goes to prom with Ross instead of Chip, thus changing the course of their joint romantic journey entirely.
"They neared the Green mansion, as people in the neighborhood called it, since it was so large. Ross felt the all-too familiar flip-flop in his stomach as he and Rachel brushed sides. It had been happening all night, specifically when they had been dancing. He was still slightly in shock that she had agreed to dance with him at all. 'Well, this is it,' Rachel said as they reached her door. She looked up at him. 'This was really nice, Ross. Thank you for bringing me.'" [sic] Read the full story here!
"Ben Becomes a Man" by rachelgreengellerOr: The one where Ross’ son Ben prepares for his Bar Mitzvah, and employs the help of his father, Chandler, and Joey to find a girlfriend.
"Ben sat in the rabbi's office as he read the remainder of his lesson. He was soon going to be turning thirteen. According to jewish law, he would become a man, so he would be having his bar mitzvah soon. Ross sat with Carol by his side, his face glowing with pride as his son spoke the ancient Hebrew." [sic] Read the full story here!
"The One Where Chandler Finally Experiments" by JanaSelf explanatory.
"Chandler didn't know how he was going to face his friend in the morning. If he was this uncomfortable, just after having a conversation, he could only imagine how awkward things would be between them if he actually took him up on his offer. It was out of the question. Sex with friends was always a bad idea, anyway. Besides, he wasn't gay. He never imagined Joey was gay, either." Read the full story here!
“Neverland” by Melanie GellerOr: The one where Phoebe’s childhood and mysterious past are imagined through an extended Peter Pan metaphor.
"My stilettos clatter against the sewers I dash out into the street lights, covering my face with my hood. Both Benny and I know I'll be back, I can't live without his pills. He can't live without my money. We both, therefore, cannot live without the men." Read the full story here!
"TOW the Smurfs" by tini243Or: The one where everybody talks about Smurfs.
"'Joey, no one had sex with Smurfette,' Monica said matter-of-factly. Grinning lewdly Joey replied, 'See, that's how bad she needs a Joey smurf.'" [sic] Read the full story here!
"I'm Your Sister" by HikaroOr: The one where Ross and Monica have incestuous feelings for one another.
"'Monica...for the past few days I've just been all over the place, unsure of the things I might do. And I know it's wrong, but I think...I think I want you.' She was starting to get even more speechless and infuriated by the second. He wants her? Does he not see the huge problem in that?" [sic] Read the full story (at your own risk) here!
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Rapper T.I. played Good Samaritan earlier this week (begs28Apr14) after coming to the aid of a woman who had been involved in a car accident in California. The Whatever You Like hitmaker was on his way to fast food chain Popeye's in Inglewood on Wednesday (30Apr14) when he saw a cab crash into an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), causing the four-wheel drive to flip over on its side, according to TMZ.com.
T.I., real name Clifford Harris, headed over to the SUV to check on the driver and stayed by her side until an ambulance arrived on the scene.
The extent of the victim's injuries are unknown, but she was conscious enough to recognise the rapper, and immediately asked, "Is that T.I.?"
This isn't the first time the 33-year-old rapper has turned hero - in 2010, he helped to talk a suicidal man off the ledge of a building in Atlanta, Georgia while on his way to a music video shoot.

NBC
And with one last cafeteria dance party, Greendale has once again been saved, and Community has almost reached its ultimate goal of six seasons and a movie.
But the group’s hard-earned victory felt somewhat hollow, and the fifth season was brought to a close in a particularly lackluster way. Despite last week’s episode, “Basic Story” setting up a slightly different, more interesting take on the idea of the study group contemplating moving on and growing up, the finale threw all of those developments out the window for what turned out to be their most formulaic adventure yet. In fact, lackluster the best way to sum up season five as a whole, which got off to a great start, but seemed to fall flat after losing Troy and Pierce.
Since “Basic Sandwich” brings to a close a season surrounded by controversy and media attention, it seems only fair to look back on all of the episodes to see what worked, what didn’t and what we think Community can improve in the event that get the season we’ve been waiting for.
Worked: Duncan and Hickey The loss of Troy and Pierce left the study group somewhat off-balance, but Duncan and Hickey were the ideal replacements for two of the gang’s most important members. Like Donald Glover, John Oliver has the ability to deliver almost every punch line perfectly, and so he’s given this season some of its best and weirdest jokes. Jonathan Banks has also made a great addition to the group, giving their adventures some edge and playing the “grumpy older man” role with hilarious results. We’re not sure if they’ll be back next year, as both are committed to other series, but we sincerely hope they are. After all, we still need to find out how Hickey’s gay son’s wedding went.
Didn’t Work: The Finale The fifth season kicked off with “Repilot,” which allowed the show to start over again from a fresh, new perspective, which is why it makes no sense for the show to end on another push of the reset button. What’s the point of setting up interesting storylines or putting the characters through major changes of everything’s going to be wiped away at the end of the season with some Dave Matthews Band? The whole point of this season was to rebuild the show after the “gas leak,” and so ending up at the same place we started essentially renders everything that happened this year pointless.
Worked: Abed Abed was by far the MVP of Season 5, and his combination of meta commentary and heart gave the show some much-needed life this year. Between his heartbreaking goodbye to Troy and his long, rambling monologue about Britta and Jeff’s spinoff in “Basic Sandwich,” Abed continues to be one of the show’s strengths, and he has truly become the heart and soul of Community. Plus, he does the best Nicolas Cage impression we’ve ever set eyes on.
Didn’t Work: Lack of Shirley Her relationships with the other members of the study group have given the show some of its best episodes and most iconic moments, but the fifth season of Community saw Shirley shunted to the side in favor of the other characters. She never once received a story line of her own, and all of the things we’ve learned about her over the years – her devotion to her family, her dedication to her business, her secret foosball past – were touched upon at all this year. It’s not enough to simply reference her lack of screen time. You need to actually give her some more attention in order for it to work.
Worked: Higher Stakes This year’s highlights came whenever the characters dealt with big issues: the loss of two of their own, the threat of mortality, life turning out differently than they expected, and having to leave behind their safety net. These stories provided the funniest moments and the cleverest parodies and gave the fifth season some much needed weight. We’re hoping the writers will bring keep exploring bigger issues in the sixth season, as everything gets a little more serious now that the study group understand what failure in the real world feels like.
Didn’t Work: Jeff/Annie/Britta Look, we don’t care if he dates Britta, Annie, both or neither, but the show needs to either follow through with this plot or let it go completely. We can’t suffer through any more of Jeff and Annie pining over each other, and while we love Britta and Jeff’s bickering, their fake-out attempts at a relationship are losing their charm. Pick a direction and stick with it, and please, spare us all any more will-they-or-won’t-they-is-this-a-love-triangle-or-are-they-all-just-friends nonsense.
Only Kind of Worked: Season 4 Bashing We get it: Dan Harmon hates Season 4. It’s understandable. But while we loved the small references to the issues everyone had with those episodes, much of this season felt like Harmon was just attempting to prove how much better he is at running Community than everyone else. The parody episodes felt less like homages than an opportunity to showcase how much better his references were, and many of the characters’ plots felt like a deliberate attempt to undo everything the show runners of season four came up with. Now that we’ve all made peace with the past, how about we just look forward for season six, and allow everyone to just move on. (We're still on board with the gas leak idea, though.)
Still Doesn’t Work No Matter How Hard We Try: Chang Ken Jeong still has some brilliant moments, but Chang hasn’t felt like an organic part of the show since he was fired way back in season one. He flip-flops back and forth between good and evil as the story requires, but he doesn’t’ add anything to the show. If the writers can’t figure out a decent story for him for the next season, it might be best to just reduce his role to a recurring one, so that we get all of the best parts of Chang without him wearing out his welcome. Or just give him and Garret a spinoff. We’d watch every episode of that.
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If you manage to recover from The Fault in Our Stars by August, you can end the summer the same way you started it: crying in a movie theater. This time, the film is If I Stay, the big screen adaptation of Gayle Forman's popular YA novel, and the first trailer for the film promises all of the romance and tragedy that your poor heart can handle. Chloe Grace Moretz stars as Mia, a 17-year-old cello prodigy who winds up in a coma after a terrible car accident that kills her whole family. But while her body is comatose, she can still see and hear everything that's happening around her, and she must decide if the love of her friends is enough to make her stay in a world filled with grief.
If I Stay is something of a deparure for Moretz, who is best known for playing tough, violent and foul-mouthed characters like her breakthrough role as Hit Girl in 2010's Kick Ass. Since then, she has primarily stuck with edgier films; the closest she has come to starring in a YA drama is starring in the recent remake of Carrie. Because the role of Mia is so different to the kind of projects we're used to seeing Moretz star in, it gives her a chance to explore a different kind of character, as well as showcasing the full range of her talents. And while it makes sense that such an opportunity would attract her to the role, it still seems odd that Moretz would star in a standard YA adaptation because she doesn't really need to.
Major YA film adaptations tend to be the primary way that young actresses establish themselves and their careers, and if the film or franchise is successful, they can become a big star overnight. Despite the Oscar buzz they both earned with their breakthrough roles, it wasn't until Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley starred in The Hunger Games and Divergent, respectively, that they were considered movie stars. Kristen Stewart had plenty of acclaimed films on her resume before starring in the Twilight franchise, but it's the role of Bella Swan that has earned her the most attention. A YA adaptation is an easy way to establish yourself in Hollywood, because they come with their own, built-in fanbase and are guaranteed a great deal of press attention. Moretz, on the other hand, already has an established career, with high-profile projects like 30 Rock, Let Me In, and Hugo under her belt, and probably brings more attention to If I Stay than the film would be able to bring her. So, why go the YA route?
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In addition to giving her a chance to try new things and take on a different role, film adaptations of YA novels are more likely to feature an interesting, complex role for a young actress than many mainstream movies, which often tend to cast them in smaller, supporting roles, usually as the girlfriend or daughter of the main character. A majority of YA literature is written for and about teenage girls, and so it's natural that teenage actresses would also be drawn to the project. If the film is a success, which If I Stay is likely to be, considering both Moretz' high profile and the established audience for the book, it not only helps actresses earn more attention, but also proves that they are capable of handling complex, difficult roles.
However, there is a flip side to the benefits of taking a starring role in a YA adaptation, primarily the fact that those actresses often find it difficult to shake off their characters. Stewart will likely always be Bella Swan to the general public, and despite taking roles in more adult projects, Emma Watson is still unable to differentiate herself from Hermione Granger. Moretz is in the unusual position of being a young actress who has seen success in a variety of roles and genres, which has thus far kept her from being typecast or stereotyped. If If I Stay is a major success, there's a chance that Moretz will get stuck playing Mia-like roles, making it hard for her to shake off the character and continue to have a diverse, interesting career.
On the surface it appears as if Moretz has nothing to lose by starring in If I Stay. After all, it's an interesting, dramatic part in a big film with lots of press and fan attention surrounding it. But going into the film as an established, respected performer means that the film's success could be a double-edged sword for her. She does have a few projects lined up after If I Stay, all of which are distinct from one another, which could help protect her from the negative impact that the film might have on her career. Still, it's hard not to be apprehensive about the path that Moretz's career will take a result of starring in If I Stay, no matter how good the films looks.
If I Stay opens on August 22.
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ABC/CBS
This past week in television has been absolutely devastating for fans of ABC's Scandal and CBS's The Good Wife. If you watch either show, you're probably still reeling from the most recent episodes, both of which included death sentences for beloved characters. And if you watch both shows, you're probably reading this from the glass case of emotion from which you cannot remove yourself.
First, let's discuss Scandal. Last Thursday, Gladiators everywhere tuned in to find out #WhoGotShot. Some of us were expecting the end of white hat-rocking David Rosen. Others thought James Novak should take the bullet, especially since he was flip-flopping (once again) over what to do about his political animal of a husband, Cyrus Beene. We were ready, weren't we? We were ready for someone to die because we'd been told in the previous week that someone was totally going to get shot!
But then it happened, and we were slapped in the face with the cold, hard reality of the end of James, lying face-down in the concrete. Really, truly, actually dead. Actually, even this wasn't so bad. But when Jake walked over to him at the end of the episode, and we had to watch him talk James through his final moments? And promise him that his daughter would be fine? And kind of, sort of, legitimately apologize for having to kill him, and having to make him suffer so the murder could look like a car-jacking and not a job done by a professional? The worst. The absolute worst.
Or was it?
Don't watch this video unless you're in a place where it's okay to start inexplicably crying:
Sunday night, fans of The Good Wife waited for an eternity for that ridiculously annoying show that shall remain nameless to finally roll credits so that we could see what was up in the land of Alicia and Will. And whaddayaknow? Out of nowhere — seriously, we were not warned, there were no hints in the previews — Will gets shot. He's moments away from winning the big case, but the kid he's defending (Hunter Parrish, who many of us know as Silas from Weeds) can't take it anymore and opens fire on an entire courtroom.
We might have been able to predict the death of James, but the death of Will was a horrifying, horrible, horror-inducing horror. Yes, that many variations on horror are necessary to explain the shock and awe of that character's final moments.
But every dark cloud has a silver lining (allegedly), so let's look on the bright side. We'll get to see more of James A.K.A. Dan Bucatinsky in an upcoming NBC series Marry Me. And he also has another project in the works with Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes. There's no word for sure on what's next for Josh Charles, but he did stop by The Late Show With David Letterman and made it clear that he's been wanting to move on for some time now. So here's hoping we get to see him in something new soon. Not that anything could assuage the loss of Will Gardner. Case in point:
How Alicia looks at the 1:27 mark? Yes. That's exactly how 99% of us feel right now. So basically... The Good Wife and Scandal writers? You are all the worst right now.
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Comedian Chris Rock inspired the chorus of Jay Z's 2004 hit 99 Problems, according to legendary producer Rick Rubin. The Def Jam Records co-founder has shared his memories of recording the track on its 10th anniversary as part of New York Magazine's Annual Yesteryear Issue, which features a young Jay Z on one of its multiple covers, and he reveals the idea for the hook came from the Grown Ups star.
Rubin tells New York Magazine, "Actually, Chris Rock had the idea for the chorus. It's based on an Ice-T song called 99 Problems, and he said, 'Ice-T has this song, and maybe there's a way to flip it around and do a new version of that.' And I told Jay Z the idea and he liked it.
"The Ice-T song is about, '(I) got 99 problems and a b**ch ain't one', and then it's a list of him talking about his girls and what a great pimp he is. And our idea was to use that same hook concept, and instead of it being about the girls that are not his problem, instead of being a bragging song, it's more about the problems. Like this is about the other side of that story."

"We're having the time of our lives! We are all in a splitter van and sharing rooms at Travelodges; this isn't the luxury rock star tour, but that's part of the fun. You know, if it's a gilded latrine, I'm fine with that, but if it's not, that's just the flip side of the story for me." Downton Abbey star Elizabeth Mcgovern on her low-budget rock star lifestyle as the singer of blues-folk band Sadie and the Hotheads.They have been touring the U.K. in support of Mike and the Mechanics since last month (Feb14).